P or J for me?

[Marko 1]

If you're not real familiar with basses and the various tones that might work in your mix,

the P is the safe choice.

It kind of eliminates your ability to mess anything up.

 

[N4860]

I can certainly understand why you'd want to have a P or J bass and why some would recommend getting 1 of each considering the budget. My recommendation would be to get a bass that feels great to you and if you find that it's not versatile enough, then find out what exactly it is about it that isn't working. You might find that a P bass feels great to you in but if you want a different sound, rather than getting a different bass, maybe a 2nd p bass with different strings and setup might just do the trick. I am personally a big fan of Stingrays so I have a few of them with different string type and I set them up differently to achieve certain tones because my first priority is the feel of the neck of my instruments and the stingrays just suit me best.

 

[Topkat13]

If you get 10 responses in favor of a P and only 8 for a J are you going to buy a P? Go play a few and decide for yourself.

 

[cratz2]

My recommendation for someone in your position would be to go to a store, check out a couple traditional basses, mostly to get a feel for which neck you prefer, some can jump back and forth between them but some have a strong preference one way or the other.

Anyway, I'd figure out what you like the feel of and, if you prefer the Jazz type neck profile, I'd get a decent Jazz bass and a P bass or P+J bass with the Jazz type neck. They aren't too hard to find. The Aerodyne is a good example. Neck feel trumps sound for me though it's great to have great feel AND great tones.

I personally think that a Precision would be a better fit for what you are describing, but there are as many exceptions to the rule as there are followers.

My #1 bass is a Precision, but my #2 and #3 are both Precision type basses with Jazz necks.

I probably wouldn't spend quite three grand on a bass without spending some time with each type.

 

[themickster]

3k on any bass is a waste of money. You're paying for the name. There are great basses for under 1k, even under a few 100. Ibanez and Yamaha are worth a look, among others.

 

[BlueTalon]

I’m only considering 4 string P and J basses...

So do you like both types of music? Country and western?

 

[BlueTalon]

You might want to consider some of the amazing Japanese Jazz basses.

You really should be providing links with posts like that.

 

[andrus108]

With that budget and for your purpose you can easily get a P AND a J, then if you search around for deals on those two and still have enough left, a 2nd P to put flats on.

 

[HMZ]

P bass for sure.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Hi friends,

I’m buying a bass!

I’m mainly a guitar player, but have decided a bass will be a worthwhile addition to my studio. I want to buy something nice, and my budget maxes out at $3K

I’m only considering 4 string P and J basses, but am looking for a little direction.

I will be using this for recording, di without an amp.

I want something with strong fundamentals, that sits well in a mix.

I want it to stay clean, and I don’t slap or get crazy with bass. I mainly play roots music, Americana, country, and singer songwriter stuff. I just mainly focus on solid strong grooves that serve the song. Nothing flashy.

I honestly love the idea of a p or j. I’m leaning towards a p bass, but was hoping for some direction. I want a bit, thick, strong tone that sits well in a mix. I don’t want anything thin sounding, but also don’t want the bass to have a farty low end.

Looking forward to some ideas!

Try a J and a P and decide yourself .. if you are not a bass player, I’d avoid throwing 3 grands in something which wouldn’t be regularly played but money is yours …

 

[Christophe C]

3k on any bass is a waste of money. You're paying for the name. There are great basses for under 1k, even under a few 100. Ibanez and Yamaha are worth a look, among others.

you are right

 

[Basspaolo]

It takes a long time (a lot of play, a lot of gigs) to fully understand the possibilities and the ideal settings of the JB. The P is more immediate, so I would take a P.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

From your description I would definitely recommend a P-bass.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

P vs J (neck pickup only) blind test.
"Bass One" is one of them (not necessarily the first one in the photo) and "Bass Two" is the other.

 

[Dave W]

For what you're looking for I'd recommend a P bass. It's all you need and then some.
If you want a no fuss recording bass put some decent flats on it and it will sit well in the mix with minimal effort and sound great while doing it.

If you're still on the fence, I agree with those saying to get both. Your budget can get you into a good US made P and J. P with flats, J with rounds. The J will give you a more modern tone and offer more tonal variations from the bass, but make no mistake...the P is plenty versatile in the right hands.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

With regard to neck width you'll have to feel them both. My 2 cents is that a thicker neck is a little less likely to have a bad dead spot. About 1 5/8 (1.625) is my favorite.

With regard to the body shape, I guess you'll have to feel that too, but I think the P is more comfortable to sit with because the cutout for the knee is farther forward, closer to the headstock, so it balances better (of course you can find people to argue about anything here).

With regard to "farty lows", pick/pluck lighter and probably also closer to the neck. And if you can't make yourself pick/pluck so lightly, try thicker strings.

 

[Avezzano]

Since you're mainly a guitar player, I would suggest you buy a solid Squier P CV bass. It will cost a fraction of your budget and you'll discover that, with a proper setup, it will give you ALL you need and some more. Then, later on you will also add a J, maybe. Or you will buy a more costly bass. But just start with a simple solid and not so expensive bass. It will save you headaches and regrets. My 2c.

Squier Classic Vibe '60s Precision Bass - Olympic White

 

[rtslinger]

Can not do better than a P in the mix. J have single coli pickups and unless wide open they are noise without noise cancelling pickups.

 

[burgerdj]

$3k? For that budget get one of each - and maybe add a Stingray!

 

[chris_b]

I'd get both. I started on a Precision and later bought a Jazz, 40 years later! But I got there in the end!!